Fly-escape for window-screens and screen-doors.



\ R. CALVERT & R. BNGLE.

- FLY ESCAPE FOB WINDOW scnnnns AND SGBEEN DOORS.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. 21, 1912.

1,116,991. I Patented Nov. 10, 1914 a 2 SHEETS-SHBBTL anuentm 17E Iy/c.

aim a and a Culver-Z2 R. CALVERT & R. ENGLE.

FLY ESCAPE FOR WINDOW SCREENS AND SCREEN DOORS.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.21,1912.

1,1 1 6,991. Patented Nov. 10, 1914.

2 SHBETB-SHEET 2.

Wiiweooeo LCI' and Cvalye Gian/{QM 3g, 1 x

. 1 q I 1 w w Gum UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

3032M CAILVIiRT Am) iu'c'nann Kristi; or siftmv'afi, INDIANA.

'sLY-EscArE roe wmnow-scsnm Ann'sdnnm-noens.

s eciscation of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 10, 1914.

mutation mo oeww a1, 1912. sum No. inmoo.

To all when it may concern:

Be it known that we,- Ronsrrr GKLVERI and Brenna Enema, citizens of the United States, residing at Sullivan, in the county of Sullivan and tate of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fly-Escapes tor Window-Screens and Screen- Doors; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, snchss will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in fly escapes 101 screen doors or window I screens.

One obj eat of thc'inventidn is to provide a I device of this character adapted to be applied to a screen door or to a window screen whereby flies or other insects will, by reason of their habit of crawling up a screen, find their wa out, but cannot readily find their wax in t rough the escape.

nether object is to provide a device of this character which may be applied to any form of existing screen, adjustable or otherwise and which will be simple, strong and durable in construction, efficient in operation and well adaptedto the purpose for which it is desi ned.

With t we and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction. and the combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and claimed. 7

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is an inner side view of a screen door showing the invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is an outer side view thereof; Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal section; Fig. 4 is a horizohial section taken on the line 44 01 Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the escape showing the manner in which the same is constructed to be appliedto screen doors already formed or in use; Fig. 6 is a vertical section through a portion of the screen door showing the form of the inven tion illn'stratcd in Fig. 5' applied thereto; Fig. 7 is an inner side view of the escape applied to an adjustable window screen. Fig. 8 is vertical, cross sectional view of the same, taken on line 88 of Fig. 7.

In the embodiment of the invention as shown in the first four figures of the draw ing 1 denotes the frame of a screen door,% denotes the wire netting forming the covering for the door, said netting terminating a suitable distance from the upperend of the door frame and being secured tcthe outer edge thereof by the usual binding strips or cleats 3. The lower portion of the door may be braced and ornaments-xi lg cross bars or s'crollwork of any design. lie up er ortion of the door however is pre'ier'ably .c ear oi any obstruction and contains simply the wire netting covering together with our im-' proved escape now to be described.

The escape comprises a guard or insect guiding member consisting. of a piece or sheet of wire netting or other material 4 having .a width cormspondin to the width of the door and being of su 'ent length to extend from the to of thedoor frame downwardly to a consi rable distance below the point where the upper end of the wire netting covering 2 of the door terminates. The piece of netting 4 forming the escape has its side edges engaged with metalside strips 5 and its lower edge en a ed with a metal binding strip 6. The s up 6 and the lower portions of the side strips 5 are preferably channel shaped or folded over onto the edges of the netting while the upper 'o'rtion of the side strips are flat and with t 6 upper portion of the side edges of the netting 4 are engaged beneath and secured to the outer edge of the door frame by netting fastening strips 3 as shown. In thus arranging the inwardly extending lower end of the piece of netting 4 is firmly held in position by metal lugs 7 which are preferably cut and bent Upwardly from the metal side strips 5 of the escapement; said In s being tacked or otherwise securely fastene to the inner sides of the door frame as shown. In arranging the escapemerrt as shown and described the upper edge of the netting formin the covering of the door is preferably le t unbound, so that the rough edge formed by the projecting ends of the. wires forming the netting will act as an obstruction to detenthe enshown.

15 which are engaged with the meshes of the and the netting 4 of the escapement.

' edges of the side braces 8 is an inner wire able distance above the top'o ,point only sufficient space is provided betrance of flies through the outside between said edge of the netting and the escapement.

With 111 improved escape'ment applied to a door as erein shown and described it will be seen that when flies or other insects light on the inner side of the screen and crawl upwardly they will pass beneath the lower portion of the netting 4 of the escapement and will be guided upwardly thereby until they pass out through the space between the upper end of the wire netting 2ofthe door In Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings the escapement is shown as constructed and arranged ready for application to standard size doors already constructed and hung, and in this instance the escapement comprises side pieces 8 w may be' formed of wood or metal and wfif are tapered or in.- clined on one edge fi 'om a point near their lower ends to their upper ends as shown. Secured to the flat outer edges of the side pieces 8 is a wire netting covering 9, the side edges of which are preferably bound by metal strips which are tacked or otherwise secured to the edges of the side pieces as The, lower end of the covering projects a slight distance below the lower ends of the side pieces and also has applied thereto a binding strip 10 on the inner upper edge of which and spaced from the inner side of the strip is a. guard plate or strip 11. between which and the inner side of the binding strip 10 is formed a space adapted to receive the upper edge of the wire netting covering of the door as will be hereinafter more fully described.

'Secured to the tapered or inclined inner netting-covering 12, the side and lower edges of which are protected by binding strips '13,- while the upper end thereof projects a suit-'- the outer net'- ting covering 9 and the upper ends of the side pieces 8. The projecting upper end of the covering 12. is bent at a slight angle to the lower portion thereof and forms the upper portion of the covering of the door."

By arranging the coverings 9 and 12 as shown and described, it will be seen that a. space will be formed between said coverings, said space decreasing gradually in width to the upper end of the covering 9 at which tween the coverings to permit a fly to pass out. The coverings 9 and 12 of the escape are preferably braced and reinforced by a. springbracing rod or wire '14 which is bent into substantiallv triangular shape or to a shape corresponding with the space between the coverings 9 and 12, said rod having its upper ends turned outwardly to form hooks coverings9 and 12 and thus hold the rod in place.

The rod 14 when constructed and arranged as herein shown and described will prevent the space at the upper edge of the covering 9 from becoming closed or in other words will hold the coverings 9 and 12 in their proper relative positions.

In applying the last described form of the invention to a door which has been already constructed, the upper portion of the netting covering of the door is cut off and removed for a suitable distance down and in the opening formed by the removal of the cut off piece of netting is placed the escapement. In thus placingthe escapement the guard plate 11 and binding strip 10 on the lower end of the covering 9-are engaged with the cut upper edge of the covering of the door, thus protecting said edgeand holding the same and-the lower end of the escape in place. When in this position the side pieces 8 are engaged with and secured to the inner edges of the door frame, while the extended or projecting upper end of the covering 12 forming theinner side of the escape is secured to the u per piece of the door frame as shown. hen the form of the escape just described is applied to the door it wilLbe seen that flies or other insects crawling up the inner side of the netting covering of the door will pass on up between the coverings 9 and 12 of the escape until reachin v the upper edge of the covering 9 at whic' point, the flies may escape as will be readily understood.

In Figs. 7 and 8 of the'drawings the inventionis shown applied to an adjustable window screen in which the parts of the escape are all properly arranged and secured to permit the screen to be immediately ap plied to windows of-diflerent widths and in which when the screen is adjusted the parts of the escape will also be simultaneously adi 's d- In he adjustable form of the invention shown in Figs. 7 and 8, 16 denotes the adjustable window screen which may be of the ordinary or any suitable construction,

'the same being shown in the present instance as consisting of a frame having side bars 17 to which are connected upper and lower cross bars 18 formed in overlapping adjustably" engaged sections which are slidably connected inany suitable manner. To the sides and upper and lower bars of the screen frame are secured the covering 19 of the screen, said covering being formed in overlapping sections in the usual 'manner.

The sections of the screen covering 19 terminate at their upper ends a short distance below the upper bar of the screen frame and form between said upper ends and upper bar an exit passage 20 through which the insects may escape. The edges of the upper ends of the sections of the covering 19 are suitably bound and strengthened by binding strips 21. The inner edges of the sections of the covering 19 are also bound and strengthened by vertical bind ing strips 22 the upper ends of which are extended. The extended upper end of the binding strip of each of the sections of the covering is bent in an opposite direction-and engage with the binding strips21 of the upper edges of the opposing sections of the coverin said oppositely bent upper ends-of the hen 'ng strips 22 thus forming guiding members for the upper edges of the screen covering when the sections of the latter are adjuste I j A The escapement as a plied to the adjustable form of screen a we described comprises a iding member 23 constructed of wire netting or other suitable material and which is formed in overlapping adjustable sections having on their lower edges and ends binding strips 24. The u per edge of one of the sections of the gui ing member is secured to one of the sections of the upper cross bar of the screen frame While the other section of the uiding member is secured at its upper e ge to the other member of the upper cross bar of the screen frame.

The sections of the guiding member when thus arranged have an overlapping slidin engagement and are adapted to be shiftec i inwardly and outwardly simultaneously with the movement of the sections of the screen. The outer ends of the sections of the guiding member 23 are secured to the inclined or angular edges 25 of supporting and attaching strips 26 which are adapted to be secured in any suitable manner ,to the inner edges of the vertical side bars of the screen frame as shown. The strips 26 are secured to the inner edges of the side bars of the screen frame in such position that the ends of the tapered upper portion of the strips terminate at the upper edges of the sections of the screen covering so that the sections of the guiding member 23 wil1 be spaced a slight distance from said upper edges of the sections of the screen coverlng thus providing an .exit opening for the insects crawling up the inner side of the covering of the screen'and through the gradually decreasing space between the sections of the guiding member 23 and the sections of the screen covering.

In order to hold the lower edges of the sections of the guiding member 23 in sliding engagement and to guide said lower edges of the sections when the latter are adjusted with the sections of the screen we provide a substantially U.-shaped guide plate 27 which is secured to the lower binding strip of'one of the sections of the guiding member in position to receive the lower edge of the opposing section of said guiding member. \Vhen the parts of the adjustable form of the escape are constructed and attached to the sections of an adjustable screen as herein shown and described, it will be seen that it is simply necessary in applying the screen to a window to adjust the sections thereof in the usual manner which operation will simultaneously adjust the sections of the escape which is thus brought into operative posi'u tion without additional labor or trouble,- 1

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without uiring a more extended explanation.- I

arious chan es in the form, proportion and the minor etails of construction'may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as claimed.- I

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. An escape for door and window screens comprising side pieces having their inner edges tapered or gradually decreasing in width toward their upper ends, an, outer covering secured to the outer side of said side pieces, an inner coverin or guiding member secured to the incline inner edges of said side pieces, whereby a space is provided between said side pieces and inner and outer coverings, said space gradually decreasing in width toward the upper end of the outer covering, said inner covering extending forwardly above the upper edge of the outer covering, and a combined binding strip and guard on the lower edge of sald outer covering adapted to receive the upper edge of the screen covering, said screen coverin terminatin below the top of the screen rame to receive said binding strip and guard. v

2. An escape for door and window screens comprising side pieces havin their inner edges tapered or gradually ecreasing in width toward their upper ends, an outer covering secured to the outer side of said side pieces, an inner covering or guiding member secured to the inclined inner edges of said side pieces, whereby a space is provided between said side pieces and inner and outer coverings, said space gradually decreasing in width toward the upper end of the outer covering, said inner covering extending forwardly above the upper edge meinbers secured to the outer side edges of said sections and to the side bars of the screen frame, whereby said sections of the guiding member are supported in position above the upper edge of the covering of the screen and separated from the inner side thereof to form a. gradually tapering space -which opens on the outside of.the screen, a

guide late secured to the lower edge of one of said secions of the guidin member and adapted to receive the edge 0 the co-acting section, whereby said lower edges of the sections are slidably connected, and binding strips arranged on said lower edges of the sections of the guidingmember. r p i In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscrib- 3 ing witnesses.

' ROBERT CALVERT.

RICHARD ENGLE. Witnesses:

N. D. .MAB'IIN, JOHN C. CHANEY. 

